The Beginning of the End
by Toxic-Plague13
Summary: The Outsider doesn't really know what he's doing but he is going to make this work. This is the first thing he has truely wanted in many years, they may laugh at him but as long as she's happy he can count it a success.
1. Not a Test

**Not A Test**

This is a test, it has to be. There is no other reason she can think of for the Outsider to bring her to the Void night after night. She is never alone in her dreams. He doesn't always talk to her, sometimes he simply watched her as she wanders the Void. Sometimes he asks her questions and even more rarely answers hers. The weirdest occasions are when she finds herself standing in the background as he deals with his other Marked. They never seem to notice her and she can't help but wonder if he means for her to be aware of his other Marked. She feels like that's something she shouldn't know, her father has once told her it is normal for the Marked to destroy each other if they spend to long together. She wonders if the Outsider is trying to drive her mad.

She never approaches during his little meetings and he always seems almost disappointed after his Marked leave. She wonders if they have failed him some how. She never asks and he never says, she doesn't know if she actually wants to know. It has to be some sort of test, only she doesn't know the rules. His games have never been easy and she never knows if she's passing or failing. He always seems unfailingly amused by her efforts however so she must be doing something right most of the time. She doesn't know how to play his games so she always just ends up being herself instead of behaving how she thinks he wants her to. He's much to difficult to get a good read on and she never knows what exactly he wants from her. So she watches and she waits, waits for him to give her a clue. He had never pulled her father into the Void nightly, so this is an odd behavior for him.

Tonight he isn't paying attention to the Marked in front of him. He's half turned in her direction and is watching her as she climbs one of the many floating buildings of the Void, in search of a better vantage point with which to watch him better. She's nearly to her new perch when her foot slips. She lets out a tony cry of surprise and quickly scrambles to get a better grip on the building so she won't fall. She looks up for a better hand hold and the Outsider is standing in a window sill offering her a hand. Of course she takes the hand and he pulls her up to the steadier place. She leans on the side of the window and attempts to catch her breath after the brief scare. He's watching her again, his eyebrows are furrowed and his lips are pinched together. She can here his Marked calling out in confusion where he had left him. For some reason she feels like she might have just failed the test.

He watches her silently for a few more long moments before he turns away and is back by his other Marked in a poof of black smoke. She watches as he waves his hand dismissively at the man and he disappears. She feels ridiculous standing on the building now, having failed to reach her perch. She swiftly begins her descent and is surprised to be met by the Outsider at the bottom. His face is smooth and expressionless once more, and yet she feels like he is expecting something from her. She still isn't sure what he wants so she stays silent, waiting for him to say or do something to give her a hint. As unlikely as that is she still hopes it will happen. He heaves a sigh and she realizes they seem to be in some sort of room now. There is a comfortable looking wing back chair on a rug in front of a strange purple fire that is sitting still and silent inside an obsidian fireplace. The rest of the room is in shadows.

She doesn't think there is a door, she may very well be stuck here for a while. She activates her dark vision to get a better look around. She sees surprise flick across the Outsider's face and suddenly candles are flickering to life around the room. It indeed has no doors or windows it would seem. It is also much bigger then she had at first thought it to be. She thinks it's a library, of some sort at least. Looking back to the Outsider she finds he has moved away from her while she had been distracted with the rest of the room. He now stands beside the fire staring into it's still flames. She slowly moves to stand beside him, he doesn't acknowledge her. They stand together for what feels like hours before she finds herself waking in her bed. There is a new whale bone charm on her bedside table and it could be from no other then the Outsider. Everyone else knows not to enter her rooms without her permission, especially not while she is sleeping.

She feels for the intentions behind the charm and can only feel restfulness from it. It's an odd little thing, but she thinks it might be a gift. Perhaps it is an omen of sorts, why would she need restfulness when she finds herself in the Void every night? She doesn't know and she'll never ask. She gets up and goes about her day as she normally would. Not stopping to think about the little bone charm under her pillow. She almost forgets about the charm altogether until she climbs into bed and shoves her arm under her pillow, finding the little charm once again. She pulls it out and stares at it silently. She falls asleep still contemplating the tiny charm. Her earlier thoughts seem to be proven false when she blinks her eyes open to find herself in the Void. The Outsider is standing only feet from her, in front of him is the same Marked from the night before. He seems frustrated, she doesn't know why but she can guess. For the first time a Marked's eyes move away from the Outsider and land on her. The mans endlessly frustrated babble ends abruptly.

The Outsider's head turns just slightly to look at her, he acknowledges her presence with a nod before turning back to his other Marked expectantly. The man however seems more intent on asking questions of her or about her and she has no intention of answering any of them. Neither does the Outsider as he just stands silently waiting for the man to lose interest. She walks closer which seems to cause the other Marked some discomfort, which he shows by backing away a few steps. She ignored his fears because they are unfounded and mean little to her. She watches the man's eyes widen as she reaches a hand out and touches the Outsider's elbow, his eyes flick to the Outsider his breath held awaiting the Gods reaction. The Outsider as always shows no outward reaction, simply raises his opposite hand and uses it to move her hand to the crook of his arm like a gentleman would. He pats her hand once before dropping his hand, still staring at his Marked.

This is not new behavior to her but the poor man looks like he just witnessed a miracle and a murder all in one fell swoop. His jaw is loose, mouth agape, as he stares dumbly between them. She almost feels sorry for him. Almost being the key word there. With a roll of her eyes she tugs on the arm in her grasp just slightly. The Outsider inclines his head in a small nod and steps away from his Marked to walk with her around the platform they are standing on. It floats alone in a part of the Void she has not yet seen, as is the case every time she finds herself here. There are no outstanding features here and she finds herself disappointed in the lack of interesting things to look at so she turns her head to watch the Outsider. His face is relaxed and calm, it doesn't tell her a thing and his black eyes are impossible to read. At least he doesn't look bored though. He often looks bored when dealing with his other Marked. She can hear whale song in the distance and as they turn in their path she can see the whale in the distance.

She doesn't often see the Leviathan when she wakes to find herself in the Void. She watches it with some small interest and is actually rather shocked to realize it is not alone. There is a small pod of whales with it, swimming playfully and singing. The other Marked hasn't moved an inch or said a word in some time. She almost thinks perhaps he had been dismissed when she spots him again on their next turn. He looks quite shell shocked, his hands are limp by his sides as he follows them with his eyes. He doesn't seem bothered by the whales and she thinks perhaps she is the only one who has never seen so many in the Void. Eventually the Outsider steers them back over to the man where he easily coaxes him back into a conversation he himself is terribly bored with. The other Marked won't stop glancing at her and she almost wishes she had something interesting she could do to spook him. He looks much like a startled cat already, and she would love nothing more then to make him jump.

The Outsider dismisses the man before she can think of a way to spook him. She quickly finds that the Outsider has moved them back to the room from the night before. He leaves her near the bookcases as he moves to stand by the fireplace again. He doesn't seem to be expecting anything from her, yet he has left her to her own devices in a room full of books she's not sure she should be reading. So the hunt for a book begins, the more likely she should not be reading it the more interested she is. She finds several titles and moves to the only chair where she sets the small pile beside it before taking the seat and making herself comfortable. She quickly cracks the first book open and begins reading, she fears he will realize his mistake and take the books if she doesn't make quick work of them. She's half way through the first book when she suddenly wakes in her bed. There is a new bone charm on her pillow. This one is just as peaceful as the first.

She asks her father more about the Void and it's lonely God that day, and is left with only more questions as her father has very little in the way of answers. She wants to look for answers but she knows the only place with even a small amount of knowledge on the Outsider would brand her a heretic just for showing an interest. The Abbey is not a friendly sort and she has little interest in making them her enemy. That night when she sleeps she wakes in the Void, curled in the chair she had last been in. Her book is still in her hands, the Outsider is nowhere to be seen. She really feels like she's being tested now, left alone in what seems to be the Outsider's private library. She finishes her book and puts it back on a shelf, she doesn't want to keep reading. She knows there is no door and wonders if she had been left to find her own way out. At this thought she turns to find a door up against the nearest wall.

She stares mutely at the door, it hadn't been there the last dozen times she had looked at that wall. She carefully exits the room and finds herself in an overgrown ruin, perhaps it used to be a garden of some sort. It's as silent in the Void as it always is, with no Outsider there to distract her she begins exploring. There isn't anything of consequence in the garden, just a bunch of plants she's never seen before. There is however an open gateway with a spotty path leading off into the Void. She plans to follow it once her curiosity with the garden has been sated. Once she has seen all she cares to of the garden she makes her way towards the path. Using her far reach capability she moves off into the unknown. The Void is large and empty, the path leads past nothing and seems to go off forever into the distance. After what feels like hours she comes to the end of the path, it's a dead end. A pod of whales swim in the nearby distance.

This has to be some sort of test, the Outsider is probably watching her somehow. She stands nervously watching the whales for a time. They intermittently move closer and further away. The smallest whale eventually moves close enough to swirl in an arcing circle around the end of the path. Close enough for her to reach up and touch as it passed over her head. The small whale begins to sing as her fingers stroke down it's body. She doesn't notice the other whales coming closer until they are practically on top of her. They're all singing and swimming playfully near the bit of path she finds herself standing on. They are both beautiful and terrifying up close. She watches them in utter amazement as they swirl, play, and sing in the air around her. She had never been this close to a whale before, let alone a small pod of them. Whales around the Isles didn't gather in pods anymore, to easily caught by the whalers.

As amazing as the whales are she still feels like she's being tested. She doesn't get to think about it for to long before the smallest whale is knocking her forward with it's tail. She let's out a small surprised sound as she tumbles over the edge of the path. She knows she can't be hurt by falling into the Void but it surprised her all the same. She isn't expecting to land on the back of one of the larger whales, she's quick to grip it not actually wanting to fall into the Void. Though it won't hurt, falling into the Void is highly unpleasant. It's incredibly chilly and moist, like falling into an incredibly thick fog. It saturates the lungs and makes it hard to breathe. It would be nicer if it felt more like falling into the ocean, she loved floating on the water. The whales have moved away from her old perch on the scattered path and are making their way farther into the blankness that is the Void. She can't help but wonder where exactly they are taking her.

Soon enough a new platform comes into view, once again it looks like a ruined garden much prettier then the last one she found herself in. In the garden however stands the Outsider, staring into what looks like a bird bath. The whales part from the pod one by one as they rush to greet the master of the Void. The whale of whoms back she is on keeps a leisurely pace as it glides along and slides happily past the Outsider who doesn't even look up as he greets the whale in a foreign and possibly long lost language. At least she assumes it's a greeting, she could be wrong. She laughs quietly to herself and is surprised when his head whips around a look of surprise on his own face. She smiles and waves from her place still atop the whale who had carried her here. The look of surprise slides off his face being replaced by curiosity. She slides from the whales back carefully and moves to join him over at the bird bath.

He gives her one last curious glance before turning back to the bird bath, which she now realizes is a scrying pool. Within it's depths she can see a foreign people moving about what looks like it might be a market. This is of course exciting for her, she knows Pandyssia exists but doesn't know what lays upon it. If this place isn't Pandyssia then it means there are even more people in the world and her kingdom is not alone. She'll have to send out exploration parties, small ones on sturdy ships with large cargo holds. The bigger the party the less likely it is to come back, she had noticed that about everyone sent out in history. She can't help but wonder why no one else had ever noticed before. She watches the scrying pool with open curiosity and wonders if the Outsider minds that she is also watching. He isn't paying her any mind any more, he seems much more interested in something on the pools surface.

Eventually he waves his hand and the image changes, it's now a large group of people gathered in a room with a table and chairs and they appear to be arguing. She can't understand a word they say so she focuses on other things. The clothes they wear are strange and pretty, bold colors and patterns that work nicely with the loose flowing fabrics. The clothes are a stark contrast to the furniture which looks boring to say the least, all sharp angles and uncomfortable edges. She almost wonders if that is intentional. She hadn't realized that she had moved closer to the scrying pool and that her hands were hovering just at the edge of it, her mark is glowing. With a twitch of her fingers the image pans to show more of the room, this is when the Outsider finally acts. He fastens his fingers around her wrist and gently pulls her away from the scrying pool. She looks up at him a slight flush upon her cheeks, she smiles apologetically and moves across the garden.

He watches her go with a small frown on his face but does not stop her or chastise her. She explores these ruins just as she had the other, taking in every detail that she can. She picks some of the flowers and creates a couple of flower crowns. She puts one on her own head and goes about very carefully getting the rest onto the heads of the whales who are still swimming about. The last one she holds in both hands and chews her lower lip. She glances up at the back of the Outsider's head and wonders if he would mind. She hadn't made flower crowns since she was a child. She lifts the pretty orange crown and sneaks to the best of her abilities, she hopes he's to engrossed in the scrying pool to pay her any mind. He doesn't look up until the flower frown is on his head, he brings a hand up to touch it and frowns. He glances around and looks almost dumbfounded at the whales wearing flower crowns. His eyes flick almost incredulously to her.

She smiles sheepishly and shrugs, he obviously had not expected her to create flower crowns for the whales and him. She reaches up and adjusts his flower crown so it sits properly on his head, he's still frowning but he doesn't stop her. As she lowers her hand he once again grasps her wrist. They stand watching each other for what feels like forever but is only a few seconds. He doesn't release her wrist as he leans down and presses his forehead gently against hers. She releases a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. His eyes are closed and she is very confused, these past few days have been really weird. He let's out a sigh and his other arm curls around her waist his eyes opening to watch her for her reaction. She feels like she's being tested again but this time it's different. She carefully brings up the hand he isn't holding and curls her fingers along his jaw, he sighs again and his eyes slide closed.

Perhaps this had not been a test after all.

 _Fin_.


	2. Rest and Relaxation

**Rest and Relaxation**

She's seated in what she has come to call 'her' chair in the Outsider's private library. He's seated on the floor with his back pressed against her legs, her left hand is buried in his hair and her right hand holds a book. They've been sat here for the better part of what feels like three hours, relaxing in front of the still and purple fire. She has made her way through her small stack of books these past few weeks. They were fairly interesting and she is quite certain they are on the Abbey's banned books list, if she hadn't already been a heretic before she certainly was now. Don't even get her started on what seems to be her physical relationship with the Outsider. Speaking of which she turns her attention to the back of his head as she moves her hand to run her fingers through his hair, she sets her book down on the arm of her chair and her right hand joins her left. A sound akin to a purr leaves his throat.

He begins talking quietly in that foreign language which she is pretty sure he speaks because it gives her goose bumps. She doesn't even know what he's saying, it could be sweet nothings but it could also be an. Ancient bread recipe for all she knows. He hasn't tended to any of his marked in her presence these past few weeks and she can't help but wonder if he's doing it in favor of spending more time with her. His voice rumbles over her in waves so she closes her eyes and continues to run her fingers through his hair. If she wasn't already asleep she is certain she could have drifted right off from this alone. Warm and comfortable, surrounded by the gentle rumble of his inhuman voice. It should probably not be so relaxing, but one Emily Kaldwin had never been a normal girl and had no plans to start now. The head she had been gently caressing is suddenly gone with a growl and the whispering sounds she knows means he just teleported.

She hates it when he does that, she has no idea how to find him when he leaves her behind. With an annoyed huff she throws herself out of her chair and exits the library, making her way straight for the unconnected path. She needs something to climb. It's the only real way she can get her frustrations out here in the Void. Hopefully the whales are nearby for a helpful ride to somewhere more interesting. Or perhaps she'll throw herself into the Void, it's been known to drop her in new places from time to time. Thankfully the whales are playing at the end of the path and she has zero need for the dramatics of throwing herself into the Void. She hitches a ride with them and is thankful they don't bring her to the Outsider this time. They bring her to a new section of the Void and she happily sets to exploring and climbing what seems to be a ruined cityscape.

She spends what feels like hours exploring before she wakes up in her head back at the Tower. There is a single white rose on her pillow beside her head, and she snorts. How typical, abandoned and apologized to by her wayward God. At least she hopes so. She can't help but wonder what had grasped his attention so thoroughly that he had left her in the library without a single word. Had something happened with one of his marked? Was there a new threat for him to be looking into? She'll never ask and he'll never volunteer the information, this she knows. She drops the flower on her desk and goes about her day trying not to think about what could be the reason for his little disappearing act. That night she does not find herself in the Void, but in her own dreams. Waking to the rhythm of her own nightmare she spends the early hours of the morning pacing her own room until she can start her day as if everything is normal.

Her father can tell how agitated she really is and runs interference as often as he can. He doesn't know about her nightly visits to the Void or her borderline relationship with the God who inhabits it. He only knows that she asks a lot of questions that he can't altogether answer, as far as he knows neither of them have seen the Outsider since after the Delilah incident. He seems perfectly okay with that and she has no interest in letting him know otherwise. She especially doesn't want him to know of her little relationship with the Outsider, he'd been unbearable enough about Wyman. The last thing he's going to let her get away with is a relationship with a being that would cause the Abbey of the Everyman to collectively lose it's shit. She finds herself in dreams again that night, waking early due to nightmares again. She's a fair bit more agitated now.

She spends her day restlessly pacing and being fairly short with her advisors and the nobles of her court. Today her father asks questions about what is wrong, she gives no answers. She simply stares out the window in her office, she knows she won't be sleeping tonight. She'd gotten so used to the lack of dreams these past few months and her nightmares are finally catching up with her. Once full dark hits she hits the rooftops of Dunwall. She scales only the tallest buildings and uses every ounce of her stealth to break into the most secure buildings, she even manages to find some kind of fight club, she takes on half of them before they kick her out. She's exhausted the next morning and is thankfully to drained to snap at anyone. The day goes by to slowly for her liking, she already knows she is going to sleep tonight whether she wants to or not.

It's only upon waking in the middle of the night choking on her own screams that she remembers the bone charms the Outsider had given her. She makes her way on unsteady feet down the Tower halls to her office and retrieves the two charms from the locked drawer of her desk. She huddles in her desk chair the charms locked in her grip, she is asleep almost instantly. She's awoken sometime the next day by harried knocking on her office door. A glance out the window confirms it's at least noon. She can hear her fathers voice on the other side of the door, he sounds frantic. She slides the charms back into her desk and hurries to assure her father of her wellbeing. He keeps a very close eye on her for the rest of the day. She'd scared the lights out of everyone when she hadn't left her room in the morning and they had later found she was no where to be found.

She wouldn't apologize for scaring everyone, she had just wanted some uninterrupted sleep. It was apparently to much to ask. Her father stops in her office before bed to escort her to her room, she shoves the bone charms in her pocket and makes her way to bed sliding the charms under her pillow. She turns to watch her father assign guards to her door. She rolls her eyes but says good night as she closes the door on the lot of them. She locks it for good measure before moving to get changed. She spends the next couple of weeks sleeping normally, no signs of the Void or her wayward God. One day during her usual open court session listening to a lesser noble drone on about something she could care less about a commotion starts in the back of the room. She pays it no mind until her father leaves her side with his sword drawn.

Now she's curious, she waves her hand dismissively at the lesser noble and stands. She doesn't make her way to the commotion knowing her guards would simply make her leave the room if she did. The commotion grows louder, she can hear yelling and the clashing of weapons. It isn't much longer before black smoke is jetting between the nobles towards her. A man appears from the smoke a few feet away from her. He only manages to take a few steps towards her with his sword drawn before the familiar figure of the marked she'd been seeing in the Void appears behind him and slams his sword home, through the other man's chest. Her would be assassin stills before slowly begins to slump down towards the floor his weapon clatters loudly to the floor from his suddenly nerveless fingers. She is to busy looking at the marked behind him to pay him any mind however. How had he gotten here?

What is he doing here? Had the Outsider sent him? What if both of them had come to kill her? Tracking down fellow marked to kill. She lowers her hand to her sword watching the other marked closely, but he only smiles and bows. "Greetings your Majesty." He says with a thick accent that she cannot place. She wonders only for a second before her father is there. She rushes forward to stay her fathers hand, shaking her head all the while. He lowers his weapon but watches the marked warily. The other marked bows again winks at her and disappears into black smoke as Overseers rush to try and capture him. Failing that they try take the body of the unknown marked from the ground for study, after all it isn't every day they get to study the body of one of the Outsider's marked. Her father escorts her quickly from the room telling the room at large that todays session is over.

She spends the rest of her day in her office under guard at all times. It's a ridiculous precaution, she can take care of herself and the guards wouldn't last a second to one of the marked. Perhaps they would act as a distraction long enough for her to get the upper hand if he did return to kill her. Not that she thinks he would, he had killed the other marked but had seemed almost pleased to see her. She's escorted to her bedroom a few hours later, her father has chosen to guard her himself this night. He's sitting in a chair in the sitting area, facing away from her as she changes into her nightgown. She's just about to sit down at her vanity when she notices the mirror and bookcases are warped and fractured. She gasps causing her father to turn, he jumps to his feet ready to defend her. He needn't of bothered, for out of the shadows steps none other then the Outsider in all his godly glory.

He doesn't even bother to glance at Corvo, he steps up to her bringing one hand up to her jaw. He seems to be inspecting her, perhaps for injury from this mornings activities. She stays still allowing him a few moments before removing his hand from her face and making her way to her bed. She's tired and isn't going to allow this visit to stop her beauty sleep. He follows her, standing silently at the edge of her bed. Her father is asking questions now, but she just wants to sleep. She can just barely make out the Outsider hissing something to her father before she is asleep and waking in the Void. She turns to look around and catches sight of the marked who had saved her earlier grinning at her. He enthusiastically waves her over, "Come Empress. Sit with me!" His accent is still thick and unknown. She knows they can't hurt each other in the Void so she moves to sit beside him on the settee of foreign make.

They sit in companionable silence for a few moments, before long however the Outsider returns. He is not alone however, her father stands behind him staring down at the renewed mark on his hand. She can't help herself, she throws her head back and laughs.

 _Fin._


	3. Fatherly Advice, Unwanted

**Fatherly Advice, Unwanted**

She had of course been right, her father is insufferable. Now that he has his mark back his protections are a tad more intrusive. She's grateful he can't follow her into the Void at night, she'd never be free of him if he could. This is why she finds herself sprawled on a bench in the Void glowering at the Outsider where he stands by one of his many scrying pools. Neither he or her father will tell her why the Outsider has given her father back his mark. She can only guess, and if it's to help better protect her she might just scream. She can protect herself! What was the point of all the training and the powers if they wouldn't even give her a chance to prove herself!? She seethes quietly on the bench for some time before getting up to explore on her own. The Outsider had barely interacted with her these past few nights, to busy checking his scrying pools.

She couldn't even really watch them herself, they were never in a language she could understand and so had no information she could glean. Her exploration this night brings her to the other marked whose name she now knows to be Salim. He's sprawled on the ground staring silently into the dark vastness of the Void. She doesn't know much about him other then he has the power to enter the Void at will, which is an odd power to have. The Outsider must trust him completely. As much of an oddity she finds him to be she knows he thinks the same of her. They don't trust each other enough to bother asking questions neither of them wants to answer in turn. She gracefully sinks to sit on the ground next to him wrapping her arms around her knees and staring in the general direction she had come from. Salim let's out a quiet chuckle but says nothing as he continues to stare off into the Void.

They sit silently together for some time before Salim begins a conversation about their respective powers. It's something they can both talk about without giving to much away. Neither can tell how powerful the other is. He seems amused by some of her abilities and almost downright ecstatic about others, his list of abilities is much larger but he assures her it is because he has had the mark much longer then her and has the free time to search out runes unlike her. She grumbles about that, it's true of course but she doesn't have to like it. This is where the Outsider finds them some time later, he doesn't interrupt them right away, waiting for a lull in the conversation before beginning to talk to Salim. It takes her a very long moment to realize it's the same language he speak to her when they are alone, and Salim appears to speak it too. She's only a little annoyed, finally away from his scrying pool and it's to talk to Salim. In a language she doesn't understand. She hopes he isn't keeping secrets.

She huffs and hops to her feet, she leaves the two of them to have their secret conversation. She's going to go climb what she thinks is a bell tower of sorts. She may take a slightly more dangerous path up then she normally would, she's trying to burn off some of her frustrations. She doesn't use any powers in the climb, leaping and grappling to her hearts content. She's always wondered if the Outsider could read minds, on the off chance he can she begins to mentally sing the most annoying children's song she can think of. He may already know she's less then impressed but if he can read minds at least she can punish him a little. Perhaps she should have a greater respect for the God, she may very well just be a passing curiosity for him. That thought hurts more then she would like to admit so she sings her mental song a little louder. Eventually she exhausts all the routes on the bell tower and rejoins Salim on the ground. The Outsider is missing again, probably back to his scrying pools.

She flops down next to Salim, less elegantly then she had before. She isn't trying to impress him and his opinions of her elegance mean nothing to her. She strikes gold however when he turns to look at her with an amused look, his thickly accented voice simply oozes amusement "Any idea why our illustrious God is humming children's songs to himself?" she can't contain the helpless laughter that elicits from her. So he can read minds after all. The laughter and smirk on her face tells Salim everything he needs to know, he doesn't even try to hide his own laughter. He seems so delighted by her ability to effect the Void God. The moment he brings love into the equation however she snorts disbelievingly. Love has nothing to do with it, she's a passing fancy at best and odd curiosity at worst. Salim seems almost bewildered by her attitude towards the whole thing as if he can barely believe she thinks so little of the God's regard. Of course she doubts, everything she knows about the God points out his fickle nature.

He favors no one and swears not to interfere in the lives of mortals. Unless he finds you interesting of course but even that only last so long. Granny Rags had lost his interest once and so to had Daud, even her own father had not seen hide nor hair of the Outsider between the events of her youth and several long months after the events of Delilah. He'd only been brought back into the fold because the Outsider needed him for something, even if that something was her. Just how long would she be worth protecting exactly? Salim looks furious, it's obvious enough that it's not with her though. He muttered a 'I'm going to kill him' seeing as how she is decidedly not a him she can only assume he speaks of the Outsider. However why he cares how the Outsider treats his other marked is beyond her. Salim storms off furiously, leaving her alone to stare up into the Void. She supposes up is subjective, she could very well be staring down into the Void.

She's alone in the Void until she wakes, her father is already in the room when she swings her legs out of bed. Another fabulous day being stalked by her Lord Protector. It's in the afternoon during a meeting with an Abbey official that she finds that time has been frozen and she has a godly visitor. She immediately begins loudly singing her favorite childhood song in her head as she turns her head to look at the amassing shadows. Soon enough the Void God appears, walking from the shadows looking confused and just a tad put out "You're mad at me." He states and sighs "Salim is also mad at me, I can only assume it is for similar reasons ." she somehow manages to ratchet up the volume of the song in her head to keep herself from giving her thoughts away. She watches as he begins to pace the room occasionally glancing at her, he doesn't seem to know how to proceed and it's oddly adorable. In the breath of a second he disappears and reappears kneeling at her feet.

"Forgive me, my Empress. I seem to have transgressed against you. I have not shown you the proper respect and…" he trails off and hesitates a long moment. "Affection that you so deserve. I endeavor to make it up to you in our future encounters.' He takes her marked hand and brings it to his lips, leaving a kiss against her knuckles. "I did not mean to leave you out or ignore you in any way and I certainly did not mean to make you feel as though I could ever lose my interest in you." He does not remove his lips from her knuckles as he talks and she can feel them ghosting across her flesh. "You are my Empress, I plan to keep it that way." Suddenly he is on his feet and dripping a kiss onto the crown of her head before he takes his leave as suddenly as he had come. The Abbey official is babbling away about a topic she has zero interest in. She is after all the biggest heretic in all of Dunwall, perhaps the whole of the Isles. She smiles privately to herself behind her marked hand which is curled by her mouth.

The Abbey official is none the wiser and she soon kicks him out to move on to more important things. Like being stalked through the halls of her own home by her father. Damn the man and his persistence in keeping her safe from every shadow. How is she supposed to sneak out and enjoy a few hours to herself with his watchful eye on her at all times. It's not like this was the first assassination attempt after all. Though it was the first by another marked. Perhaps that's what scares him so much, another Empress disposed of by a supernatural assassin. The difference being that Emily is not like her mother, she is marked. Also well trained and capable of fighting back. She doesn't have to rely solely on her guards and Lord Protector for protection and never will. She knows she isn't safe, not even in the sanctity of her own home. Only in the Void is she truly safe, physically at least. Her heart after all is very much in danger at all times within the Void. There is no telling where the Outsider's whims will lead her.

She pencils her father in for lunch, she might as well enjoy some of her forced father daughter time. She lets him know in as casual a voice as she can muster that she expects him at her table for lunch. He must not realize she always knows when he's there no matter how stealthy he is, because he startles when she starts talking to him. She can't help the laughter it causes, he looks so disgruntled. He has indeed been misjudging her capabilities in protecting herself it would seem. She takes a few turns about the garden before visiting the gazebo her mother died in. She stands before the memorial plaque silently for some time, only speaking to her mother in the privacy of her own mind. She doesn't want anyone to overhear what she has to say to her mother, especially not now that half if it is extremely heretical in nature and would get her arrested and tortured by the Abbey. No one needs to know about her not quite lover the Outsider. Certainly not her over protective father.

Lunch with her father in hind sight is an obvious mistake. If she hears her father haltingly begin talking about her not being afraid to say no if the Outsider pushes for more then she's ready for again she may just scream. He doesn't seem to realize she has more experience in this area then he is aware of and that her relationship with the Outsider isn't like that. They haven't even kissed for Voids sake! She spends most of lunch hiding behind her hand and occasionally groaning a protest as her father gives her relationship advice. Did he not realize how serious her relationship with Wyman had been before the Delilah incident? She is no blushing virgin and not unawares of pushy suitors. She knows when and how to say no and more importantly when to break a nose. She escapes from lunch as quickly as she can, even if she has barely eaten half of the food on her plate. If she was a normal child and not the Empress she would have run away out of pure embarrassment. Her father is not subtle.

She would never repeat this mistake upon picking up a new relationship again.

 _Fin._


	4. Not a Curiosity

**Not A Curiosity**

After the attempted assassination she finds Salim in the Void more often then not to visit her then to visit with the Outsider. This seems to suit the Outsider just fine however, because he uses these visits to disappear and handle other things while she's occupied. After his apology he had spent a great deal more time with her while she was in the Void. The whole 'My Empress' thing seems to have stuck too, a sort of affectionate nickname or something. He barely calls her Emily anymore, usually only 'My Empress' or 'My Dear Empress'. It was almost sweet in a way. She hadn't really thought of the Outsider as an affectionate nicknames sort. Even Salim seems surprised when he picks up on the new trend. Though so few people dare to use her name, Empress sounds like so much more coming from the Outsider. She only hopes he doesn't expect her to come up with any sort of sweet nicknames for him, her creativity is greatly lacking.

No, she'll just stick to Outsider or risk sounding utterly ridiculous. Speaking of, she half turns on the chaise lounge she'd founded added to the library to look at the Outsider, who has also added a desk and a scrying pool. He's darting between them every few moments to update Salim and her father. The three of them are up to something, she can tell, she still doesn't know what it is but she hasn't exactly been asking questions. She doesn't think they would answer her even if she did. Suddenly the Outsider raises his head and locks eyes with her, she thinks. His lips curl slightly upwards, it's almost a smile. With a poof of black smoke he is suddenly leaning on the back of the chaise lounge and looking down at her. His head is tilted slightly and frankly she can't really tell what his black eyes are looking at. She is certain however that they start on her face, he must not know the first thing about subtlety because he tilts his head as his eyes travel down her body and back up to meet her eyes.

Or he actually had the audacity to give her a slow once over. The almost smile he gives her and the slight twinkle in his black eyes tells her all she needs to know about his audacity. Her laughter alerts the other two in the room that they have lost the Outsider's attention. The almost smile stays on the Outsider's face as she laughs through the confused questions from the other two men in the room. Trying to stifle her laughter she waves a hand at her father and Salim, letting them know it's nothing they need to worry about. She stretches out on the chaise still chuckling to herself. The Outsider is watching her, his chin resting in his upturned hand. She's not sure if he truly appreciates the view or if he's just responding how he thinks he should to a beautiful woman, but she appreciates the attention none the less. She smiles almost shyly up at the Outsider before rolling off of the chaise to go find a book to read. Might as well expand her knowledge.

She wonders not for the first time if she is just a passing curiosity. After all the Outsider had been very young when he'd been killed and turned into a God. She's almost certain he's never known the love of a woman, Granny Rags doesn't count if what her father has told her of the woman is true. The woman had been truly obsessed, which is no way to love a man. Emily should know, she has enough fanatics of her own. She's seen where boredom has taken him before, she doesn't pit playing at love past him. She finds a few books worth her time and makes her way back to the chaise, the Outsider is still leaned upon it watching her. She sets her books upon the cushions before leaning a hand beside his elbow on the back of the chaise lounge, she leans forward putting one knee on the cushion and lays a gentle kiss upon his cheek. When she pulls away his eyes are a little wide. She smiles at him and flops down inelegantly on the chaise, moving her book pile onto her stomach.

The book pile doesn't stay there however because the Outsider slides them off of her and onto the floor before he slides over the back of the chaise and making himself comfortable sprawled across her in their place. He buries his face in her neck and makes a few non committal noises as her father and Salim make surprised sounds. Salim recovers first with a burst of laughter as her father sputters incoherently. It doesn't take her father long to recover and quickly make his way over demanding that the Outsider remove himself from her person this instant. The Outsider doesn't even flinch completely ignoring her father, though he does let out a tiny pleased sigh when she buries her hands in his hair. Her father makes a wildly displeased sounds and glowers at her for encouraging this behavior. She can't help the little chuckle she releases as she shakes her head and closes her eyes, simply enjoying the moment as she ignores her father. He eventually sulks away, back to the desk.

She enjoys sitting quietly with her fingers carding through his hair for some time. At least until he utters a tiny disappointed sound. She doesn't get to ask what's wrong before she realizes why he made the sound. She is suddenly very awake and alone in her bedroom in the Tower. Her father must of woken sometime before her because he is sitting on her settee giving her a disappointed frown. She can't help but smirk "No worries father, just following in mother's footsteps. Scandalize as many people as possible." His responding groan sends her into a fit of giggles. He then goes on to lecture her on why it's a bad idea to scandalize the Abbey. She mouths the whole speech along with him as she hurriedly dresses and fixes her hair. She has a busy schedule today, several meetings with the Abbey. They've been going downhill fast since Delilah and are desperate for some help.

She doesn't think the Abbey has noticed her complete lack of interest. This is the second time the Abbey has personally failed her family and she isn't going to give it the chance to fail them again. The people have lost faith in the Abbey steadily over time, in each time of crisis since the plague years ago the Abbey is on it's last legs and it knows it, grasping wildly at anyone with enough power to try and hold on just a little longer until they can stabilize. A few moves on the chess board and she could easily see them crushed. However she doesn't really want to be seen as the Empress that destroyed a religion, she isn't a tyrant. It would look good on her reign as Emily the Wise. She will let them destroy themselves with time. They probably won't even last into her old age. She looks forward to retirement without the Abbey breathing down her neck. If she can provide an heir, fuck.

It's almost as if the mere thought summons it to others minds. Almost all of her meetings bring up the matter of a husband and heir in some form or another. She almost wishes Delilah had, had children so she could just name one her heir and be done with it. Sadly that is not the case and she has to gracefully accept her advisors offer to put together a list of suitors for her. She'll have to meet with each one at least twice before making excuses and turning them away. Getting her father's advice is no help at all. He wants her to simply pick one and claim the man is impotent after the wedding. The Abbey would never allow a divorce of a consummated marriage. She'd never allow a consummated marriage to a man she didn't love especially when she was currently in a relationship.. of sorts… ugh, why did her life have to be so complicated.

There is an awful lot of chit chat about babies amongst the ladies of her court. She likes babies well enough but she really doesn't see what all the fuss is about. The idea of being responsible for a tiny life like that is frankly terrifying. There is also the matter of her having very little time fir raising a child. Her own mother had done her best, but as Empress her people came first a lot. Enough about babies though, the very thought gives her the jitters. She escapes from those conversations as fast as she can and hides away in the safe room. Today is weird and she needs a nap. Oddly enough she had not napped in some time and is only a little surprised to find herself in the Void. She turns slightly to find herself standing beside the Outsider who is talking to two identical young girls just barely in their teens. It's a foreign tongue, but not the one he speaks with Salim.

The girls are holding hands and look like they are trying very hard to be brave. It's obvious they've noticed her but both seem to agree that the Outsider is the biggest threat in the room, so to speak. She must certainly disabuse them of the notion. With a smile she reaches out and takes him by the elbow pulling him down slightly as she goes on her tip toes to kiss his cheek, he stutters mid sentence and then goes silent as he stares at her in utter bafflement. The girls look borderline terrified and are watching the Outsider with wide eyes. It's obvious they expect him to smite her or something, she rolls her eyes and tugs on the God's arms until he wraps them around her. She settles her hands on his shoulders before looking up at him again. She notices quite suddenly how much taller then her he is. She shakes her head and gets back to business "I see you've made it a habit of scaring young girls." This causes him to frown.

She laughs at him, scaring young girls is obviously not his goal. Once upon a time when she had only been a girl herself, he'd come to her in her dreams. Frankly she'd thought he was a bit scary back then, even if she had refused to show it. It's probably when his fascination with her had started. Most normal people are dutifully scared of the Void God, but she had done her best not to show it. She'd talked back to the God, her tiny hands in fists to try and hide the shaking. She'd always been an odd child. Now she was an odd adult with and interest in the occult and being courted by a Void God. She glances at the girls who now seem to be watching her in awe. She brings her marked hand up just slightly so they can see the mark on her hand. Showing them she is no God and yet expects no repercussions for her actions. The Outsider huffs a sigh and turns his head to look at the girls as well. He doesn't seem to know how to salvage the situation.

He tentatively begins speaking to the girls in their native tongue again and their eyes snap back to him. It's only a few long moments of him speaking softly to them before they turn wide awe filled eyes on her. She has no idea what he said to them but she has a feeling it may very well have been important. He dismisses the girls shortly after, going on to explain that they are the twin daughters of the royal family of a nation called Ardonia. The people there fear him as a God but do not revile him like the people of the Isles do. They also have a disgusting ritual involving twins, thinking the two, two halves of the same soul they kill one to make the other complete. He marked them both because neither of them will ever accomplish anything worth notice without the other. He wants to see where it takes them. The people won't touch either since they both carry his mark.

She can't help but wonder if they are as much a curiosity as she is. Something new and shiny to play with when he gets bored. Or perhaps just something to pass the time with until he finds out what makes them tick. What interest does the Void God hold in royal families exactly? After all he held an interest in Delilah, her father, herself, and now these royal twins. How many royals did he have wrapped around his fingers? Was she his only lover? She shouldn't think like this, what they have can barely be called lovers and he seems much to awkward to have done this sort of thing before. He also has poor acting skills, he just goes silent or changes the subject when he doesn't wish to talk about something. She glances up at him to see his eyebrows furrowed just slightly and what can almost be called a frown twisting his lips. It's then she remembers he can hear her thoughts. Shit.

He doesn't say anything for some time and she's to mortified to say anything. She needs to find a way to have some privacy in her own head. The Outsider hardly needs to know about her every doubt and insecurity. He chooses then to speak up, "If you have doubts or insecurities you should most certainly speak up, so that I may lay your mind to rest. My Empress, my dear Emily, you are not simply a curiosity and I can assure you that the way I feel for you I have never felt before for another person. You are wholly and completely special." There is silence for a bit as her shocked mind tries to sort this new information. "Emily Attano, you are not and have never been a curiosity. I hold no particular love for royalty. I do however feel something for you. Even if I am not completely sure what that feeling is."

With that she awakens in the safe room with her father's hand on her shoulder and a disapproving frown on his face. She gives him a sheepish smiles and gets back to her meetings.

 _The End_


	5. Simple

Simple

Nothing in her life is ever simple. As it turns out Wyman is amongst her acceptable suitors and they seem all to smug about it. As if she'll pick them just by virtue of shared history. She sees them at court from time to time and they always try to win her back as if her affections once lost are so easily regained. They feel so childish in comparison to how they felt before the Delilah debacle and she wonders if they had always been so. Had she just never noticed? Or had she simply outgrown them? Had she changed so much over that time that no one normal would ever be able to hold her interest again? No, her affections were more refined now but she could still love normally. Her Void God was no normal man but his behaviors were close enough to count.

The available suitors at court all seemed rather smug really. As if they all expected to be picked. Peacocking about with their jaws flapping and occasionally leering at her, as if that would endear them to her somehow. As though they thought she enjoyed being treated like a fine steak. She didn't of course, the only time she wanted a man to salivate over her was when she was specifically trying to make them do so. That was never going to happen though and she knew it. She was a very powerful woman and also beautiful and that was just a cocktail for disaster. Most of the men at court wanted her power for themselves and to show off her beauty as if she were an owned doll, a trophy wife. As if she would ever allow that to happen. She was no pretty doll to be owned and was smart enough to keep her throne after marriage.

If she were to marry, she would name her husband as consort and not Emperor. Keep them in an advisory role only. These are her people and she didn't trust anyone else to care for them as she was truly trying to. Not even her beloved was enough for her people. With his vow of noninterference he was not a good marriage candidate. Not that she thought he would marry her. Life was never simple but it would never be so fantastical either. She almost wished for a simple life, maybe as a sailor's daughter. If her Father had been anything other then Serkonos' finest swordsman she is certain he would have been a sailor. Life would have certainly been simpler but she is almost certain it would have been boring. The Outsider would have never taken notice of her tiny family then.

Or perhaps he would have, but for entirely different reasons. Maybe for defying their destiny. While she was beautiful she was no great beauty so that would have never attracted his attention alone. He was no simple man to be swayed by a pretty face. Though she couldn't help but wonder what it was about her that had swayed him. He was after all as interested in her as her approved suitors were. Or at least she hoped he was, otherwise his interest was confusing at best, intimidating at worst. She's in the middle of a rather boring meeting. Her advisors have been screaming at each other for hours now, it's given her way too much time to think. It hardly surprises her that none of them can agree on where the money from the charity ball will go. Several factions had stepped forward to ask for the proceeds, even the Abbey. Yet her advisors were undecided.

Though a majority did think it should go to the Abbey. She had immediately vetoed that however. The damned Abbey got donations from it's faithful everyday, give it to a more needful cause. She sounds sincere enough that they don't question why she doesn't want the money to go to the Abbey. The money is no great sum but she would rather anyone else have it really. The Abbey would squander it on bribes and payoffs in an attempt to regain its former power. Seeing how easily they could be used as an army against the crown she had limited their number of enforcers with a well crafted set of laws. They couldn't fight the laws either, not without looking like they wanted to takeover the Monarchy. After all how could they justify having an armed force more than double the size of her own army.

She'd gracefully absorbed two thirds of the Abbey's forces into her own army so that their skills would not go to waste and that the Abbey would not have to bleed money to repurpose the poor bastards. Though she was bleeding money to re-educate the poor sods. They were brainwashed with the Abbey's dogma and she didn't need that in her military ranks. It wasn't the simple thing to do, but it was the right thing to do. The Abbey however, down more than half its forces and lacking support from both the crown and the average citizen, wasn't doing so well. Her crowning achievement, if she were to be so bold. A sudden silence has her glancing up to ascertain the situation. Her advisors are frozen and silent, the room is Void dark.

She has a visitor, seeing as no one is in the room before her then he must be behind her. She turns to look and sure enough there he is. One arm is crossed over his stomach the other is bent up so his hand is under his chin. He's watching her, she can't help the smile that spreads across her face. His arms drop and he steps languidly across the room towards her. It doesn't take long before his knees are bumping into hers. It's almost human, the way he seeks little physical touches. Then again over the years not many of his Marked are exactly going to want to hug a dark Void God. Except Granny Rags, but even Void Gods have standards. She didn't know Gods could be touch starved but then again she didn't really know much about Gods and how they worked either. Though she aimed to find out at least a little.

She pushes to her feet and wraps her arms about his neck. His eyes slide closed instantly as his arms slowly move to encircle her waist. She has noticed of course that he rather seems to like hugs. Fingers in his hair had him all but purring, a few kisses to the cheek are enough to silence him. She was hesitant to think further, knowing he could hear her thoughts. She wanted to know what other reactions she could elicit out of him but was reluctant to think of it in his presence. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence today?" she asks as she brings her left hand up to play with the hair above his right ear.

His eyes slide open before he answers "There was a lull in the …" he pauses a moment "Subjects, that needed my attention. I wanted to see you." The last part is almost whispered and her stomach is in flutters. She barely thinks about it before lifting on her toes and kissing him squarely but briefly on the mouth. It's sweet and simple. She pulls away and his eyes are still closed. He lets out a shuddering breath which surprises her, she'd never heard him breathe before. His eyes open slowly and for just a split second she could have sworn they were the lightest shade of green she had ever seen.

The End


End file.
